Thunder banged and rain poured Sunday on Amelia Island, Florida

Thunder banged and rain poured Sunday on Amelia Island, Florida. Good thing Bill Warner decided mid-week to move the concours d’elegance up to Saturday. But not necessarily a great thing for the collector car auctions taking place in and around that event. Not only was there confusion, but unexpected competition as the concours and accompanying cars and coffee car show competed for attention.

Overall, the average sales price at the auctions was off 13.4 percent compared with the same sales a year ago. Total sales also were off, by $18.7 million. On the other hand, the auction houses did $121.3 million in sales, an impressive figure considering that bidding on a 1957 Jaguar XKSS and a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB — both eight-figure vehicles — fell short of the consignors’ reserve prices.

1929 Stutz Model M sells for $1.7 million Saturday at RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s had to enjoy the weekend despite the extra competition on Saturday. On Friday, it sold the Orin Smith collection for an impressive $31 million and Saturday it staged its regular sale, which generated $40.8 million, highlighted by the sale of a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S cabriolet for $7.7 million, the most paid for any vehicle at any of the Amelia Island auctions this weekend.

These preliminary auction results are reported by Hagerty, the insurance and vehicle-valuation tracking company that monitors all sales at the major auction venues. Hagerty’s figures do not include any post-block transactions but do include appropriate buyer’s fees.

Hagerty also reported that cars valued at less than $100,000 did very well at Amelia, selling on average for nearly 55 percent more than their condition-specific values, according to the Hagerty Price Guide. Also selling strongly, Hagerty said, were pre-war cars, with media prices nearly 20 percent better than at the same sales a year ago.

Bid hits $240,000 for 1974 Ferrari Dino

On the other hand, cars valued from $250,000 to $1 million and those at more than $3 million struggled to sell on the island. Some 60 percent of the $250K to $1 million vehicles sold for less than their price guide expectations. At the $3 million-plus level, Hagerty noted that “buyers demand exceptional provenance,” which they apparently found lacking in several of the most expensive offerings, for example, the Jaguar XKSS revealed not to still carry its original engine.